1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to wheel lock devices that lock around a vehicle's wheel and prevent that vehicle from being driven.
2. Prior Art Description
Law enforcement officers make thousands of traffic stops each year. When a traffic stop is made, protocols require that the license plate number of the vehicle be checked prior to the law enforcement officer approaching the stopped vehicle. This provides the law enforcement officer with certain important information, such as if the vehicle is stolen or if the owner of the vehicle is wanted by the law. If such a situation occurs, a law enforcement officer will call for backup before approaching the vehicle.
However, the vast majority of license plate checks after traffic stops produce no unusual information. Accordingly, protocols dictate that the law enforcement officer approaches the driver of the stopped vehicle. Statistics show that this is one of the most dangerous situations for a law enforcement officer to be in. The driver of the vehicle can be drunk, high on drugs, or just prone to panic. Regardless of the reason, a significant percentage of drivers that have been pulled over attempt to flee. These attempts to flee often occur when the law enforcement officer is out of his/her vehicle and is standing next to the stopped vehicle. The result is that a law enforcement officer can be injured or killed by the fleeing vehicle. Even if the officer is not injured, the officer is delayed in chasing the fleeing vehicle since the officer must return to his/her car in order to begin pursuit.
There exists a long felt need for a system that can enable a law enforcement officer to disable a vehicle as that officer approaches the vehicle. Using existing technology, a vehicle can be disabled by placing a boot on a wheel or by placing tire puncture strips in front of and behind the vehicle. However, using prior art systems, both of these techniques require that a law enforcement officer either reach under a vehicle or stand in front of a vehicle. In either scenario, the officer places his/her body in danger especially since the officer must take his/her eyes away from the driver of the vehicle during the procedure. Accordingly, the use of prior art wheel locks and tire puncturing strips actually increases the danger to an officer during a traffic stop.
A need therefore exists for a system and method of disabling a vehicle that can be done without placing the law enforcement officer in a dangerous position and without causing the law enforcement officer to have his/her attention distracted away from the driver. This need is met by the present invention as described and claimed below.